Startup Weekend Dunedin

At some point or another, you've probably had an idea for a business. It might be a simple innovation that will improve people's lives, a new product that will strike a chord with consumers, or it could be a new app that you hope will dominate the app store.

Whatever your idea may be, we have an opportunity for you to test it out and gain experience in building a business.

Startup Weekend Dunedin 2015, the first Startup Weekend in Gigatown, is just days away, and we're calling for anyone who wants be involved to step forward. No experience is required.

The three day event starts on Friday, March 27th, and ends with a pitch night on Sunday, March 29th, where your business will be presented to a panel of local judges. Throughout this 54 hour period, you'll be involved in the process of picking a team, coming up with a business idea, testing it against the market, and building it from the ground up.

"How is this possible?" you may ask. Building a business is a lot of work, but it’s not very difficult. With a little determination, some in-depth market research, and the help of your teammates, you can easily get a working model up and running within 3 days.

However, like any business, you shouldn't expect it to be all smooth sailing. When you do run into the occasional roadblock, several mentors have volunteered their time and business knowledge to assist with anything that comes up.

From Dunedin, we have Rueben Skipper, Rebecca Twemlow, George Phillips, Matt Gorman, and John Enlow. From Christchurch and Wellington we have Geoff Brash and Anna Guenther, respectively.

The potential for businesses coming out of Startup Weekends is huge. At some Startup Weekends, teams have even acquired paying customers for their startups and have gone on to keep running them. But what makes this event special is that, if you have an idea that you think could have potential in the real world, you can apply to the $200,000 innovation fund that Chorus has given Dunedin as part of the Gigatown prize. The Startup Weekend event could serve as a sounding board for your startup ideas.

If Startup Weekend Dunedin 2015 sounds like something you'd be interested in participating in, you need to buy your tickets today as they're selling fast. The cost of your ticket will pay for your food throughout the weekend, which will be provided at the venue, and some basic expenses.